A new court design that isn't terrible

Late last week, your humble author went on a bit of a court-design rant. The target of ire was silhouettes, specifically the gigantic logo silhouettes college basketball programs have been drenching their new courts in since Oregon unveiled its incredibly Oregon-y "Tall Firs" court design at Matthew Knight Arena in 2010. Whatever you felt about the Ducks' ostentatiousness -- par for the highly effective course in Eugene, Ore., these days -- the court launched a trend in which programs would sneak some large, loud, shaded design element on their new floor in the hopes of better branding themselves to the outside.

So it is with great pleasure that I pass along an example of a program actively choosing to avoid this assault on our eyeballs and/or sensibilities. On Tuesday, the Rhode Island Rams introduced the Alex and Ani Court at the Thomas M. Ryan Center, and I am happy to say the court has nothing in the way of gaudy silhouettes. The furthest it goes is a shaded 3-point area, which, given the post-Oregon design hellscape we've been traversing, feels borderline monastic.

So, good job, Rhode Island. Other schools considering new court layouts, take note. Let's be the change we want to see in the world, huh?